Super Falcons Ready for Zambia Test Despite Goal Struggles

The Super Falcons have done well in all their matches at the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) so far, but they have found it hard to score goals.

As Nigeria prepare to face Zambia in the quarterfinal on Friday, head coach Justin Madugu says he is hopeful the team will improve in attack.

On paper, Nigeria are the favourites. They are nine-time African champions and have more experience than Zambia. But their finishing in front of goal has raised some concerns.

Plenty of Chances, Few Goals

In the group stage, the Falcons beat:

• Tunisia 3-0 in their first match,

• Botswana 1-0 in the second game,

• but could not score against Algeria, despite having 24 shots on goal.

The team clearly dominated these matches, but many fans expected more goals.

Coach Confident in His Team

Speaking ahead of the Zambia clash, coach Madugu admitted the team needs to do better in attack but says they are working hard to fix it.

“We know we haven’t done well in that area,” Madugu said.
“We’ve been working on it during training, and we hope to be better tomorrow.
It’s not magic — improvement takes time, but we are making progress.”

Zambia a Serious Threat

Although Nigeria have not conceded any goals in the tournament yet, Zambia will be their toughest test so far.

The Copper Queens, as they are known, have scored six goals in the tournament — two more than Nigeria — and have top forwards like Barbra Banda, the reigning CAF Women’s Player of the Year, and Racheal Kundananji.

Nigeria’s defence will have to stay sharp, and their attackers will need to take their chances if they want to reach the semifinal.